Project Portfolio Full of Inspiration

Good morning friends!  Boy this week is flying by, we've been on the go non-stop between work, school, baseball practice, getting my runs in getting ready for this weekends race, etc. but I wouldn't have it any other way we always have lots of fun.  So today I have a special post to share.  One of my highlights every year is the opportunity to attend Stampin' Up!'s Annual Convention in Salt Lake City.  This is a fabulous time where we can connect with friends and fellow demonstrators from all over the country, see exciting new products and ideas, and more.  Convention always has some fabulous displays of projects made by fellow demonstrators which are truly amazing and inspiring.  This year we have the opportunity to apply to be a display stamper for this year's convention and we have to submit a portfolio of projects to be considered by the Stampin' Up! team.   I always love these projects and have decided to take the plunge and apply to be a display stamper this year so below is the portfolio of projects I'm submitting, which consists of 3 cards, 2 3D items, and one scrapbook page.

 

 

 

 

This first card uses lots of great products from the Occasions catalog, including the Woodgrain,  Petite Petals (with matching punch) and Hip Notes stamp sets to make a soft and springy card.

 

My second card is nice and yummy, perfect for any birthday greeting.  It used the Sketched Birthday stamp set and the cake was colored in with Stampin' Write Markers so you could just eat it.  Texture with the Arrows Embossing folder, flags, and lots of layers really make this card pop.

 
The final card I have is perfect for the little new arrival and uses the Baby, We've Grown stamp set, On Film Framelits, and lots of bling with Gold Paper and Gold Sequin trim that will make anyone sparkle when they receive it.

Next we move onto the 3D items and I have two very different projects to share with you.  The first is a treat box using the Tag a Bag Gift Boxes, the Yippee-Skippee stamp set and lots of fun accessories that really make it stand out.  The great thing about this box is that it can really be recycled and given multiple times by just changing out what is in the box. 

The second item is a fun décor item for Valentine's Day.  I used the Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper for the color palette and used a wood cutout piece of the base, painted it White and used different papers, including DSP, Silver Glimmer Paper, and embossed Coredin'ations Cardstock to cover each of letters.  I decided to dress up the piece with punched hearts, elements that I printed out of My Digital Studio, ribbon, the "xoxo" cut out with the Big Shot and Thinlit die, and stamped images from the Love You to the Moon stamp set.

 The last item I want to share is a scrapbook page I made using My Digital Studio from our recent cruise.  This page uses lots of punched elements to showcase pictures, designer series paper, and text so we remember all the special times. I got several of the tropical embellishments from an MDS download and created with Mickey head with circle punch pieces in different sizes.

I really had a lot of fun assembly this project collection and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  I love all the different products Stampin' Up! offers and how they all work together to make the perfect project for any occasion.



Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Card Sketch Challenge: Love You to the Moon

Good morning!  What a fabulous weekend, we had beautiful weather and were able to really relax. Unfortunately Aidan was sick for quite awhile but at least we had the ability to let him just rest and get better.  Now we're starting spring break which will be a great way to get ready for the final stretch in the school year.  Today I have a fun card for this weeks Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog card sketch challenge.  This was a fun card using lots of framelits and texture.  I started with a Bermuda Bay cardbase and added a piece of Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Chevron Embossing Folder.

 



For the three panels I used the Chalk Talk Framelits and the Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper.  The larger medium piece is Summer Starfruit Cardstock that is embossed with the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder.  The stamped image is from the Love You to the Moon stamp set and I used Stampin' Write Markers to color in the stamp before cutting it out with the coordinating framelit (I did use dimensionals to attach the greeting so it pops of the card).  The final touch was to add a bow made with the Basic Gray 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.

I really liked the end result of this card and how the greeting really takes center stage.  We would love for you to join us for this month's sketch challenge, and make sure to share your project so we can enjoy and send you a little love. 

 

 If there are any of the products that I used that you don't have, you can click on the items below to order them for your crafting toolbox.

Love You To The Moon

$17.95

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine

$99.95

Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Chalk Talk Framelits Dies

$24.95

Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Fancy Fan Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Summer Starfruit 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Bermuda Bay 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Crisp Cantaloupe 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

$6.95

Basic Gray 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

$4.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop: Bundles to Make the Most of Sale-a-Bration

Thank you so much for joining us for our February Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop! Sale-a-Bration is in full swing and it's one of the BEST specials that Stampin' Up! provides every year! Each of the stops along our hop will give you a bundle of items that you can purchase that will total around $50 and give you a FREE Sale-a-Bration item!! 

You won't want to miss these exclusive Sale-a-Bration items: 

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! This is the first stop on the hop or if you started in the middle you should have just left stop number 17 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

I decided to create my own bundle to help inspire you so I included the following items:

Love You to The Moon Clear Stamp Set, Item #133143, Price $17.95
Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper, Item#130145, Price $10.95
Bracket Label Punch, Item #132153, Price $15.958.95
Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Item # 126845, Price $8.95

For my Free Sale-a-Bration item I choose the Decorative Dots Textured Embossing Folder.

I choose these items for my bundle since you can use them for lots of different occasions so they are really

 My first project is a card that uses everything in the bundle.  The cardbase is Bermuda Bay and I added a layer of Going Gray cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Decorative Dots Textured Embossing Folder.  I used some Summer Starfruit Cardstock to mat the Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper and added some Raspberry Ripple 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon around the DSP layer.  The greeting is from the Love You to the Moon stamp set and I colored in the stamp with Stampin' Write Marker's before punching the image out with the Label Bracket Punch.  This punch has a great shape and lots of our stamp images fit inside which makes it great.

For my second project I decided to make a fun treat holder using the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch (these new punches are AWESOME!).  All I did was take a piece of 2" wide cardstock and punched both ends and scored using the Simply Scored Board in the middle for the width of the candy.  For the decoration I added a small strip of Silver Glimmer Paper and another pattern from the Beyond Birthday DSP.  I used the same stamped image and punched it out and attached it with a dimensional.  The final touch was to use some of the Raspberry Ripple ribbon to tie the top together.   To help ensure the candy stays in place I did use a little piece of Sticky Strip on the bottom.  This little treat is so cute and you could use it for all types of occasions.

 I hope you enjoyed this months projects and remember, snowy weather is perfect for crafting, so have some fun and get a little inky.  Click on the "Next" button below to go to Cynthia's blog, she always has wonderful projects to share!

 

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
2. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
3. Jennifer C. of Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life
4. Kathy P. of Katrina P's Creative Corner
5. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
6. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
7. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
8. Erica B. of Stamping Starlette
9. Donna S. of Organized Chaos
10. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
11. Kristina M. Mama's Sanity
12. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
13. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
14. Anastasia R. of Stampin' Blondie
15. Darla R. & Nancy K. of Stampin with Darla and Sisters
16. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun
17. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'

Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Color Challenge: Love You to the Moon

Whoo hoo, it's Friday!  Boy has it been cold this week, I'm really looking forward to things warming up this weekend.  So I've really had a thing for all things hearts and Valentine's this week, I just love all the great new products Stampin' Up! is offering to let the special people in your lives how much you adore them.  Today I decided to play along with the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog color challenge, what a fun color combo.  For this card I used So Saffron for the cardbase and then added a layer of Smoky Slate cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  I added a couple small stripes of cardstock in Primrose Petals and  Bermuda Bay Cardstock. 

Of course I had to add some hearts, the large heart was cut with the Big Shot and the Hearts Collection Framelits using some Primrose Petals Core 'dinations Cardstock.  I embossed the heart with the Argyle Embossing Folder (I actually embossed the wrong side but I decided to go with it and sanded the cardstock and it kind of reminds me of a sweater).  I also added a small glitter heart using the Silver Glimmer Paper and Small Heart Punch.  The greeting is from the new Love You to the Moon stamp set (so cute), and I used Stampin' Write Markers to color directly on the rubber to add lots of colors to the image.  The Big Shot and Chalk Talk Framelits made cutting out both these layers a breeze.  The designer series paper I used behind the greeting is Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper (I love all the different patterns in this package!)  The final touch was to add a double bow made with Whisper White Baker's Twine.

 

This card is so fun and full of texture and elements that all work well together, I love it!  I hope you enjoy and make sure to play along with this color challenge, it's fun to try to new things.

 

Diana



Stylin' Stampin' Squad January 2014 Blog Hop: Occasions Catalog and Valentine's Day

Thank you so much for joining us for our January Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop! Love is in the air and our talented group of design team members have a Whole Lotta Love Goin' On as we are excited to be sharing some NEW Occasions Catalog goodies and some Valentine's Day projects with you this month!

As you hop along, please be sure to comment and... show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers!

You should have just left stop number 5 on the Stylin’ Stampin’ Squad blog hop – Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn’t work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.

The first project I have for you is a fun Valentine's card. The cardbase is Bermuda Bay and I added a Basic Black layer that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Arrows Textured Embossing Folder. I added a piece of Kaleidoscope Designer Series paper that was matted with Basic Gray cardstock. A piece of Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta and Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbons make a fun accent. The greeting is from the Love You to the Moon stamp set and I used Stampin' Write Markers to color in the stamp before cutting it out with the Big Shot and Oval Collection Framelits. A piece of Silver Glimmer Paper cut with the same framelits make the perfect frame and the perfect touch of sparkle.

I've really been in the Valentine mood lately so I decided to make this cute decor piece to match my card, perfect for valentine's. I started with this wood carved love sign, sanded it down and painted it with White paint. I traced and cut out a template of this letters so I that I could cut it apart and use different papers for each of the letters. I used DSP from the Kaleidoscope DSP package for the "l" and "v", Silver Glimmer Paper for the "o", and some Strawberry Slush Core'dinations Cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and Hexagon Textured Embossing Folder. After gluing all the pieces of paper down I did go along and sand all the edges for a distressed look.

 

I decided to used to use lots of little elements help decorate my piece, including some Whisper White Baker's Twine (to attached the little heart piece), the "love you" flag using the Love You to the Moon stamp set, the Small Heart Punch punched out the cute little hearts of Strawberry Slush DSP and Silver Glimmer Paper. I stamped the little heart and arrow with the same stamp set and punched it out with the Hexagon Punch. I used My Digital Studio and the Be Mine Digital Download for the elements and after shrinking it down I printed it out and used the Ticket Duo Punch to punch out the elements. I also added a bow made with Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and the "xoxo" was cut out with the Big Shot and the Circle Card Thinlit die piece.

Close up of part of the Love sign

Here's another close up, love all the fun elements on this decor piece.

I really love how this piece turned out, and the great thing is that with the color palette in the Kaleidoscope DSP this piece isn't over the top girly, perfect for a house full of guys. These wood decor pieces are great accents for all sorts of places, such as your mantel, table, or even window transoms, love them!

 

I hope you've enjoyed today's projects and you have plenty of time to get your valentine projects done. Make sure to continue you on the hop, the next stop is Darla and Nancy, just click the "next" button below. You can get to any of the hop sites by clicking on any of the links in the list below.

 

Blog Hop Participants:

1. Anastasia R. of Stampin' Blondie
2. Cynthia R. of Ink-a-Doodle Creations
3. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
4. Kathy P of Katrina P's Creative Corner
5. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
6. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana
7. Darla R. & Nancy K. of Stampin With Darla and Sisters
8. Jamie H. of Unique Ink
9. Rose C. of Stamp with Rose
10. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
11. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
12. Bree R. of Craft-Somnia
13. Kristina M. of Mama's Sanity
14. Annie L. of Love Me Cards
15. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper
16. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
17. Heidi B. of Stuck on Stampin'

Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge: Love You to the Moon

Good morning and Happy Monday!  After a very cold, wet weekend I'm looking forward to drying out this week (even if it will be really cold) but I seem to have hearts and Valentine's on my mind which is warming me up.  When I saw this weeks Hand Stamped Sentiments Challenge those birds immediately made me think of hearts so I decided to go with it.  The cardbase is Crumb Cake and I added a layer of Very Vanilla Cardstock that I stamped hearts from the Hearts a Flutter stamp set in Crumb Cake, Primrose Petals, and Soft Suede ink (I also sponged around the edge with Crumb Cake Ink).

I used the Big Shot and Hearts Collection Framelits to cut a hearts out of Soft Suede cardstock and Primrose Petals Core d'inations cardstock.  I used the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing folder on the Soft Suede heart and sponged it with Soft Suede Ink, and the Primrose piece was embossed with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing folder before sanding it to accent the embossing and sponging around the edge with Soft Suede ink.  Since I believe all Valentine's deserve glitter I added a small heart punched with the Small Heart Punch and Champagne Shimmer Paper. 

 

The greeting is from the Love You to the Moon stamp set (new in the Occasions catalog), stamped it with Primrose Petals ink, cut flag tails, and then distressed the edges before sponging them with Soft Suede ink.  The final touch was to add some Primrose Petals 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, and Victoria Trim Ribbon for a soft romantic touch.  Now check out the inspiration picture we were provided, definitely gives you lots of directions to go.

 

I really like the soft, romantic, elements to this card, so fun!  I hope you enjoy, I know we're still recovering from Christmas but Valentine's will be here before we know it so it's not too early to start planning and working on your projects.

 

Enjoy,

 

Diana